Page 29 of Lost In London

Her perfectly arched brows dipped as she tapped her pen against her cheek. “The who? You mean an AMC church?”

“No EMC. The saints that go to church only on Easter, Mother’s Day, and Christmas.” Easter was a week away and I already felt the aggravation of having to arrive at my church early to get a good parking spot and seat.

It took a minute but once it clicked in her beautiful head, she tossed her head back and laughed. Yeah, London Nicole Carter was going to be my wife. Her laugh paralyzed me for a total of eleven seconds. I couldn’t move or breathe. I just stared in awe of my future.

“Woooow. No, I am not a part of the EMC tribe.” She dabbed the laughter tears from her eyes.

“Really, London? You can tell me. I promise not to tell anyone your secrets.” I meant that in totality.

Her secrets were safe with me.

She was safe with me.

“What?” Her voice became high-pitched as those golden globes sparkled and stretched. “I’m an EMCN Baptist, thank you very much.” She started laughing, even snorting.

Confused, I looked up at Quest to see if he got it and even he shrugged. Tilting my head, I squinted my eyes staring at my forever, then my stomach became warm as her smile stretched and I figured out what she meant. “Oh, I forgot New Year’s. My bad.”

“Rightttt. How could you forget the starting event?” She slapped her hands on the table laughing. It was so refreshing and a stroke to my pride and ego to see her so relaxed and free, unlike the version she tries to pretend to be.

This London was light and carefree. She smiled because she wanted to. She didn’t care who was watching. She was starting to trust me and I swear on my life, I’ll do everything to make sure that I don’t lose it.

“Whoa, I needed that laugh. Anyway, I’ll see you Tuesday, Mr. Reid. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

Not caring that she was watching me, I rubbed the sore spot on my chest from the sting of having to disconnect from her. That sting was also stopping me from digging too deep with her. It was hard to look at her, discern her entire life and not say a word. Then to have Quest sitting next to me. Him shifting almost every ten minutes because he too felt the overwhelming burdens she carried.

“Can I ask you a question?”

Her lips curved into a small smile, eyes glistening. “Ask me whatever you’d like, Mr. Reid.”

Hmm.

I needed to stay focused on what I was going to say rather than the awakening muscles in my body that were growing very fond of her saying my last name.

“Don’t you get tired of having restless nights and nightmares? You haven’t been sleeping because you’re tired of being reminded of the pain and suffering. Aren’t you ready to break free from that?” I kept it light compared to how I wanted to say it.

Quest got up and walked out to the middle of my garden with his head hung low. I know my brother removed himself from our conversation out of self-restraint. I might’ve shortened my words out of fear of scaring her off but he did not care how people received him. He said what he needed to say and moved on.

Blowing out a long breath, London kept clearing her throat and paying attention to the table she sat at more than me. “I’ve wanted to reach out to you for a while now but I’ve been scared. Scared of opening myself up to you the way that I want to. Scared my issues will run you away. Scared that I’ll let you in and get so lost in you that I’ll mess up on all the work I’ve been trying to do to heal.” Lifting her head, she tried smiling but the trembles of her chin and bottom lip won the battle.

“Use me. Try me, London. See for yourself that everything you feel that I am to you and can be to you is indeed possible. Call me anytime, London. I’m available for you.” I don’t care if that made me look desperate. For her, I’d be anything that she needed me to be.

Blushing, she bit her lower lip nodding. “Thank you, Quincey. I appreciate it. Have patience with me. See you later.” It took her eight seconds to disconnect our call and when she did, I sat staring at my phone wanting to call right back because I needed more.

“Are you sure you want to go down that road?” Like me, Quest wasn’t one to bite his tongue or mince his words.

When London called me Quest and I was sitting out on my back porch talking and flipping the meat we were grilling. He was back in the states for good and staying at my house for a few weeks. He’s the only exception to letting people in my house. My brother was more spiritually inclined than I was and felt more protected with him here. On top of that, my spiritual warfare battles became less when he was around.

It was crazy how he and I were in limbo when it came to the women destined as ours. Whereas I embraced London being mine, though she wasn’t aware, Quest was questioning everything when it came to his yoke with Dove.

“I don’t have a choice.” London had baggage and a lot of emotional trauma attached to her.

Would it be easier for our paths to cross when God was done healing her?

Absolutely, but I didn’t want to take the easy road when it came to her. For God to merge our paths now in the midst of whatever storm she was swimming in uncharted waters meant He trusts me to help heal her.

“Her trauma is deep, Quincey.” His warning came from a dream. While I had the gift of discernment, Quest had both discernment and foresight that came in the form of his dreams.

Six months before India and I met he warned me about the woman created for me. He said she was everything I desired but she wasn’t packaged how I’d think. Never did he elaborate but I always tucked his words in the back of my mind. Then I met India and I thought she was her. I won’t go as far as to say that she was a counterfeit, but she was a moment in time blessing.

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